Am I hypnotised? That’s what I’m setting out to answer today.
“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.” – Daniel J. Boorstin
This quote rings true to me because there is a question that I have been asked thousands of times throughout my career…
“How do I know whether I was really hypnotised?”
Sometimes the question comes from someone who has just listened to one of my hypnosis audio recordings. Sometimes it comes from a client after their very first hypnotherapy session. Sometimes it comes from a student beginning their journey into learning hypnosis professionally.
Almost invariably, the explanation they give sounds remarkably similar.
“I heard everything you said.”
“My mind wandered.”
“I could have opened my eyes.”
“I didn’t feel as though I’d gone anywhere.”
“I don’t think I was hypnotised.”
It is one of the most common misunderstandings about hypnosis.
Indeed, I would go further. I believe that misunderstanding what hypnosis is supposed to feel like is one of the biggest reasons people unnecessarily conclude that hypnosis “doesn’t work” for them.
The irony is that many of those people were probably experiencing perfectly ordinary hypnotic responding all along.
This article is about replacing mythology with psychology and understanding that “Am I Hypnotised?” may not even be the right question.
Rather than asking, “Did I go under?”, I want to encourage a much more useful question:
“How well did I engage with the psychological processes involved?”
That subtle shift in thinking can transform the way people approach self-hypnosis and dramatically improve the results they achieve. You stop expecting to be a passive recipient of hypnosis and become an active agent, capable of forging one’s own reality.
The Familiar Doubt After a Self-Hypnosis Session
Imagine finishing a session having listened to a hypnosis recording.
You slowly open your eyes.
You stretch.
Then the internal commentary begins.
“I heard every word.”
“I wasn’t asleep.”
“I noticed the dog barking outside.”
“I kept thinking about work.”
“Nothing dramatic happened.”
“Perhaps I’m just impossible to hypnotise.”
Sound familiar?
If so, you’re certainly not alone.
Over the years, I’ve met countless intelligent, thoughtful people who assumed hypnosis had failed because they remained aware throughout the experience.
Yet awareness is not evidence that hypnosis failed.
It is, in many cases, exactly what we would expect. And what we often actually want!
The problem usually isn’t the hypnosis.
The problem is the expectation.
Why Our Expectations About Hypnosis Are Often Wrong
Expectation is such a potent force when it comes to hypnosis.
Most people do not arrive at hypnosis with a blank slate.
Long before they ever listen to a recording or visit a hypnotherapist, they have spent years absorbing cultural ideas about what hypnosis supposedly looks like.
Those ideas often come from sources that prioritise entertainment over accuracy.
Stage hypnosis
Stage hypnosis is designed to entertain.
It deliberately showcases highly responsive volunteers and emphasises dramatic behaviour.
That is perfectly appropriate in a theatre.
It is not an accurate representation of the ordinary psychological processes involved in therapeutic hypnosis or research-informed self-hypnosis.
The audience naturally comes away believing hypnosis must involve obvious changes, unusual behaviour or a profound loss of awareness.
In reality, many therapeutic hypnotic experiences are considerably subtler.
Films and television
Cinema has rarely been kind to hypnosis.
Characters become instantly unconscious.
Their eyes glaze over.
Someone swings a pocket watch.
A mysterious voice takes control.
The hypnotist appears to possess supernatural powers.
None of this helps people understand what modern psychological research tells us about hypnosis.
“Going under”
Even the language we use creates expectations.
People regularly ask me,
“Did I go under?”
It is an understandable question.
But it also encourages people to think hypnosis is a destination rather than a process.
The phrase implies crossing some invisible line beyond which hypnosis suddenly begins.
Psychologically, that is not especially helpful.
Sleep metaphors
Many hypnosis recordings invite people to “drift deeper and deeper” or “fall asleep.”
While these phrases are often intended metaphorically, they unintentionally reinforce the misconception that hypnosis and sleep are essentially the same thing.
They are not.
Electroencephalographic (EEG) studies clearly distinguish hypnosis from ordinary sleep, and people undergoing hypnosis generally remain capable of hearing, responding and making choices throughout the experience (Oakley & Halligan, 2013).
Dramatic marketing
Unfortunately, some advertising has also contributed to unrealistic expectations.
Claims that hypnosis will “reprogramme your subconscious while you simply lie there” may sound appealing.
They also encourage passivity.
That passive model is largely inconsistent with contemporary psychological understanding.
One of the central themes of my own work has always been that hypnosis is something people participate in, not something that is mysteriously done to them.
That idea influenced how I wrote my book The Science of Self-Hypnosis, how I construct my audio programmes and how I teach future hypnotherapists.
Because participation matters.
A great deal.
So What Actually Is Hypnosis?
Ask ten hypnosis researchers for a definition and you may receive ten slightly different answers.
(I recently wrote an article about What Science Really Says About Self-Hypnosis that you may like to read here and get more of my take on this question.)
That is perfectly normal.
Hypnosis is an active area of scientific investigation, and there is no universally accepted definition describing one unique subjective feeling that every individual experiences.
However, there are several features that consistently appear across contemporary theories.
Hypnosis generally involves:
- Focused and selective attention.
- Increased responsiveness to suggestion.
- Engagement with imagination.
- Altered experience rather than altered consciousness per se.
- Active participation by the individual.
Notice something important.
None of those descriptions require unconsciousness.
None require losing awareness.
None require surrendering control.
Instead, hypnosis appears to involve the way people direct attention, interpret suggestions and become psychologically involved with particular experiences.
That means two people may both be responding hypnotically while describing rather different subjective experiences.
One might report profound absorption.
Another might simply describe becoming unusually focused.
Both may be benefiting.
What Hypnosis Often Feels Like
Many people first encounter hypnosis while lying comfortably in bed using Hypnosis Audios (click there to check out my own selection of these), listening to a soothing voice encouraging slow breathing and muscular relaxation so assume hypnosis requires relaxation, this is not the case.
There is no single sensation that proves hypnosis has occurred.
Instead, people commonly report combinations of experiences.
Selective attention
Your attention narrows.
Certain thoughts, images or sensations become more prominent while others fade into the background.
You still hear sounds around you.
They simply become less important.
Absorption
You become deeply involved in an idea, memory or image.
Time passes without much awareness.
You are not unconscious.
You are simply absorbed.
This capacity for absorption is associated with hypnotic responsiveness in many individuals.
Altered perception of time
Five minutes can seem like twenty.
Half an hour can feel surprisingly brief.
Changes in subjective time are common in hypnosis and in many other experiences involving concentrated attention.
Changes in bodily sensation
Hands may feel lighter.
Arms heavier.
Warmth may spread.
Breathing changes.
Muscles soften.
Sometimes none of these occur.
That is entirely acceptable too.
Imagery
Some people experience vivid mental imagery.
Others experience only faint impressions.
Still others primarily think in words or feelings.
Good hypnotic responding does not require cinema-quality visualisation.
Automatic responding
Perhaps one of the most interesting experiences is when something begins to feel less deliberate.
A hand seems to move more easily.
A thought appears without consciously constructing it.
A response feels as though it unfolds naturally.
That increased sense of automaticity has been discussed extensively within hypnosis research.
… and by the way… if you want to learn my official, structured approach to self-hypnosis and have hypnotic experiences that feel convolutional and automatic, visit this page of my college website and download the self-hypnosis roadmap that gives instructions on how to do that: Learn Self-Hypnosis Here.
Emotional engagement
Suggestions sometimes feel emotionally meaningful rather than merely intellectually interesting.
An idea begins to resonate.
Motivation increases.
Confidence feels more believable.
Again, this is often subtle rather than dramatic.
Shifts in perspective
Sometimes the greatest changes occur not during the session but afterwards.
Problems appear more manageable.
Old habits become easier to interrupt.
New possibilities seem more realistic.
These are often the changes that matter most.
What Is Not Required
Perhaps this is the most important section of the article, because it addresses a lot of false expectations people seem .
You do not have to:
- Become unconscious.
- Stop thinking.
- Lose awareness.
- Lose control.
- Forget what happened.
- Visualise vividly.
- Feel deeply relaxed.
- Experience every suggestion.
- Reach some mysterious “deep trance.”
- Feel something extraordinary.
If any of those things happen naturally, that is perfectly fine.
If they do not, that does not mean hypnosis failed.
Many people spend an entire session checking whether they have entered the “correct” hypnotic state.
Ironically, that constant evaluation often distracts them from engaging with the suggestions themselves.
It is rather like attending a concert while continually wondering whether you are enjoying it enough.
You can reflect afterwards, during the session you want to absorb yourself and actively engage with it rather than analysing each moment which will detract from the experience and the benefits you are likely to derive.
What About Mind Wandering?
One of the biggest myths surrounding hypnosis is that your mind should remain perfectly focused throughout.
Human attention simply does not work that way.
Thoughts arise.
Memories appear.
Shopping lists arrive uninvited.
You remember an email.
You wonder what you’ll eat later.
Then your attention returns.
This is entirely normal.
Modern research on attention makes it abundantly clear that mind wandering is a routine feature of human cognition.
The goal is not to eliminate every distraction.
The goal is to notice when attention has drifted and gently return it to the task.
Each return is part of the skill.
Not evidence of failure.
In fact, developing the ability to redirect attention may itself become one of the valuable outcomes of practising self-hypnosis.
How Should You Judge Whether Self-Hypnosis Is Working?
Instead of asking,
“Did I feel hypnotised?”
Try asking better questions.
Has the intended outcome changed?
If you are using hypnosis to improve confidence…
Are you behaving more confidently?
If you are using it to sleep better…
Are you sleeping better?
Ultimately, outcomes matter more than sensations.
Did I engage?
Were you paying attention?
Did you genuinely experiment with the suggestions?
Did you become curious?
Participation predicts considerably more than passive listening.
Am I becoming better at returning my attention?
Attention wanders.
Can you gently bring it back?
That skill develops with practice.
Am I responding more easily over time?
Self-hypnosis is a skill.
Skills improve through practice and considered development.
Expecting mastery during the very first session is rather like expecting fluent piano playing after your first lesson.
Is my behaviour changing?
This is perhaps the most useful measure of all.
Are your actions changing?
Are your habits evolving?
Are your reactions becoming more helpful?
Those changes are often far more meaningful than whether your left hand tingled during a recording.
A Simple Experiment You Can Do
Rather than wondering whether hypnosis is happening, let’s conduct a brief experiment (I recorded a short video for this yesterday).
Rest one hand comfortably on a surface such as your lap, the arm of a chair or on a table.
There is no need to close your eyes unless you wish to.
Simply place your attention on that hand.
Now become curious.
Imagine, in whatever way makes sense to you, that the hand is becoming slightly lighter.
Perhaps balloons are attached to your wrist.
Perhaps a gentle magnetic force is drawing it upwards.
Perhaps you simply entertain the idea of increasing lightness.
Do not deliberately lift it.
Instead, become interested in whether anything begins to happen naturally.
Perhaps nothing moves.
Perhaps there is the slightest twitch.
Perhaps muscle tone changes.
Perhaps you notice an urge to move.
Perhaps the hand gradually rises.
Whatever happens is information.
Not a test.
This exercise illustrates something important.
Hypnotic responding is often less about forcing an outcome and more about creating the conditions in which responses are allowed to emerge.
Curiosity is usually more productive than evaluation.
Troubleshooting Common Difficulties
“I can’t visualise.”
You do not need vivid imagery.
Some people think primarily through words.
Others through sensations.
Others through ideas.
Use whichever mode comes naturally.
“I’m too analytical.”
Good.
Analysis is not the enemy.
Constant evaluation during the exercise can become distracting, but analytical people often become excellent self-hypnosis practitioners once they learn to alternate between analysing and experiencing.
Curiosity is more helpful than continuous judgement.
“I wasn’t relaxed.”
Relaxation is common.
It is not compulsory.
People can experience useful hypnotic responding while feeling alert, engaged and mentally active.
Many of my videos show applications of active alert self-hypnosis skills – I use self-hypnosis when studying, when lifting weights, when running and at a great many times when I’m not relaxed. Hypnosis does not require you to be relaxed – unless that is your aim.
“Nothing happened the first time.”
Most worthwhile psychological skills improve with practice.
Self-hypnosis is no exception.
One session rarely tells you very much.
Evaluate progress over weeks rather than minutes.
“I kept checking whether it was working.”
This is one of the biggest barriers I encounter.
Every time you ask,
“Am I hypnotised yet?”
you shift attention away from engaging with the process itself.
Instead, ask,
“Can I become just a little more involved with the next suggestion?”
That question moves you forwards.
“I fell asleep.”
It happens.
Especially if you’re tired.
Sleep and hypnosis are different experiences, but fatigue can certainly interrupt practice.
If this occurs repeatedly, try practising at another time of day or in a more upright position (i.e. perhaps do not engage with self-hypnosis when lying down in your bed that you associate with sleeping).
Stop Looking for Trance and Start Looking for Change
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin
I love that ^^ quote.
One of the most important shifts I hope readers make is this:
Stop treating hypnosis as something mysterious that either happens or does not happen.
Instead, treat it as a learnable psychological skill.
Skills improve.
Attention improves.
Imagination becomes easier to engage.
Suggestions become more meaningful.
Responses become more automatic.
The experience often becomes richer over time.
But none of those improvements require you to lose awareness or “go under.”
They require practice.
Participation.
Curiosity.
And a willingness to evaluate yourself by meaningful outcomes rather than mythical sensations.
That perspective has guided much of my professional life.
It informs how I work clinically, how I teach future hypnotherapists, how I design hypnosis recordings and why I have spent so much of my career attempting to move people away from the belief that hypnosis is something mysteriously done to them.
Because when people understand that they are active participants, something important changes.
They stop waiting.
They start engaging.
And that is often where the real progress begins.
Continue Your Self-Hypnosis Journey
If this article has challenged some long-held assumptions about hypnosis, I would encourage you to continue exploring the subject in a way that is grounded in psychology rather than mythology.
My book, The Science of Self-Hypnosis, examines the research behind self-hypnosis in much greater depth while providing practical methods for developing your skills. Whether you are interested in personal development, therapeutic applications or simply understanding how hypnosis really works, it is designed to help you become a more informed and effective practitioner of self-hypnosis. I have a more advanced self-hypnosis educational video training programme that you can study here too.
If you already use one of my hypnosis audio programmes, I invite you to approach your very next session differently.
Rather than asking yourself whether you reached an elusive trance state, listen actively. Engage with the suggestions. Experiment with the ideas. Allow yourself to become curious about your responses instead of judging them.
Then evaluate the results over time.
Look for changes in your behaviour, your habits, your thinking and your intended outcomes.
Those are usually far better indicators that self-hypnosis is working than whether you felt as though you had “gone under.”
In my experience, people often make their greatest progress when they stop trying to prove they are hypnotised—and instead begin learning how to use hypnosis well.
Have some of themes about self-hypnosis resonated with you? Then have a read of these pages:
Would you like a satisfying and meaningful career as a hypnotherapist helping others? Are you a hypnotherapist looking for stimulating and career enhancing continued professional development and advanced studies? Adam Eason’s Anglo European training college.
References
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Dienes, Z., & Perner, J. (2007). Executive control without conscious awareness: The cold control theory of hypnosis. In G. Jamieson (Ed.), Hypnosis and conscious states: The cognitive neuroscience perspective (pp. 293–314). Oxford University Press.
Eason, A. (2013). The science of self-hypnosis: The evidence-based way to hypnotise yourself. Awake Media Productions.
Eason, A. D., & Parris, B. A. (2024). The importance of highlighting the role of the self in hypnotherapy and hypnosis.Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2023.101810.
Eason, A. D., & Parris, B. A. (2019). Clinical applications of self-hypnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1037/cns0000173
Kirsch, I. (1991). The social learning theory of hypnosis. In S. J. Lynn & J. W. Rhue (Eds.), Theories of hypnosis: Current models and perspectives (pp. 439–466). Guilford Press.
Lynn, S. J., Kirsch, I., Barabasz, A., Cardeña, E., & Patterson, D. (2000). Hypnosis as an empirically supported clinical intervention: The state of the evidence. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 48(2), 239–259.
Oakley, D. A., & Halligan, P. W. (2013). Hypnotic suggestion: Opportunities for cognitive neuroscience. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(8), 565–576.
Terhune, D. B., Cleeremans, A., Raz, A., & Lynn, S. J. (2017). Hypnosis and top-down regulation of consciousness. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 81, 59–74.
